UNDER A NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME, SUPPORTED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, TEST VEHICLES FOR A TOURING CAR WERE DEVELOPED, WHICH HAD TO TAKE INTO EQUAL ACCOUNT ASPECTS OF ENERGY SAVINGS, ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SAFETY. AN IMPORTANT PARTIAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAMME WAS THE DESIGN AND TESTING OF MEASURES WITH THE PROSPECT OF A FURTHER 30% REDUCTION IN INJURIES AND DEATHS OF ROAD USERS IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CARS. METHODS OF IMPROVING PASSIVE SAFETY EMPHASIZING "PROTECTION OF CAR OCCUPANTS IN HEAD-ON AND SIDE COLLISIONS AND PROTECTION OF PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS" ARE DEMONSTRATED ON THE RESEARCH CAR. IN COUNTRIES WITH RIGHT-HAND TRAFFIC, DRIVERS ARE SUBJECT TO THE GREATEST RISK OF INJURY IN HEAD-ON COLLISIONS DUE TO THE FORCES ACTING MAINLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, SEAT USE PATTERN AND THE ADDED DANGER FROM PEDALS AND STEERING. THIS IS COUNTERED BY REINFORCEMENT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BODY AND IMPROVED RESTRAINT SYSTEMS FOR ALL SEATS. INCREASED RESISTANCE OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT TO DEFORMATION UNDER TRANSVERSE LOAD AND CORRESPONDINGLY RE-DESIGNED INTERIOR SURFACES OF THE DOORS ARE SUITED TO REDUCE THE LOAD ON THE OCCUPANTS IN SIDE COLLISIONS. FURTHERMORE, A NUMBER OF MEASURES ARE CURRENTLY BEING TESTED WITH THE RESEARCH CAR FOR THE PROTECTION OF PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, WHOSE PERCENTAGE INVOLVEMENT IN ACCIDENTS GAINS INCREASING IMPORTANCE DUE TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF CYCLISTS AND THE SUBSTANTIAL ADVANCES MADE IN CAR OCCUPANT PROTECTION. THE CONTINUED LACK OF SUITABLE MEASURING DEVICES AND EXTREMELY FRAGMENTARY STUDIES OF THE CORRELATION OF LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS WITH ACTUAL INJURIES SUFFERED PRESENT GREAT DIFFICULTIES FOR COPING WITH THE CHALLENGE EFFECTIVELY.(A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Abstract